Tales of a Breaking Dawn
by Mei.EndofStory
Summary: Akatsuki Characters & OC's. One-shot's based upon my unique and slightly AU take on what women could have helped shape the lives of the Criminal Organization's and it's men. So far there is Itachi, Hidan, Nagato, Deidara and Sasori.
1. Understandings

**_"We fit together so well...it's like pieces of a puzzle, the way your hand fits the curve of my hip and the way my head rests on your shoulder, the way our hands just melt into one, and the way I feel complete when I'm with you...like the picture's finally completed and I'll never have to wonder what I'm missing."_**

* * *

Bunko, Mariko set her jaw tightly at the news presented to her, amber eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. The man before her clasped his fingers together behind his back, swaying on the heels of his feet in a nervous manner. He wouldn't say it out loud, there was no need to after all it was obvious enough, but the woman in front of him terrified him. Mariko's hand itched towards her Kyoketsu-Shogei, the odd weapon rested on her hip, oblivious to its master's desires to kill the man. The silence that surrounded the pair had grown heavy, acquiring a bitter taste, the man let out a nervous chuckle.

"Soo, Mariko-san, that's, uh, all I needed to tell you." One hand latched to the back of his neck, forcing out a strangled smile.

"Tell Uchiha he can talk to me personally if he has a problem with the way I do things." Mariko snapped angrily.

"H-hai. Mariko-san."

The man darted away quickly, leaving Mariko to her thoughts. To say what her comrade told her had made her mad was an understatement if ever one had been made. Mariko could feel her blood boil beneath her skin, to the point she could feel the heat, causing her stomach to tighten painfully. The bastard Uchiha had purposely made a fool of her and the way she went about her missions. Mariko couldn't have cared less what he thought, after all she was an ANBU Captain just like he was and older than him too. There was no reason the thirteen year old had to mock her, she was two years his senior and the knowledge that he had, well made her want to teach him a lesson.

Mariko continued to wear down the floor in the ANBU Office with her insistent pacing; each turn of her body grew sharper and sharper until the turn was almost lost to the human eye at the speed. Her growls and curses grew more frequent between breaths, a light pink dusting her cheeks in the heat of her anger. With one final turn of her heel she slammed a closed fist into her open palm. She had to think of a way to teach him a lesson, even if it was the last thing she would do.

A sneer spread across her lips at the ideas popping into her mind. She could easily demand a duel to defend her honor but figured that was too brash, which no doubt would lead to a second embarrassment she would have to face at his hands. That made her just as angry; the thought of her losing to the uptight Uchiha Bastard, were all Uchiha's that way? Another growl left her lips as she dropped herself on the worn down couch, propping her feet on the table.

She could always employ the help of other ninja in ANBU, but she doubted many would cross Itachi, even if it meant they were on her bad side for it, spineless cowards. Mariko took to biting her lips, trying to force herself into thinking of things she could do to get back at him, but with each idea coming up, she crossed it off the imaginary list just as quickly. Sending him on a fake mission far away would be wonderful but when he found out he would more than likely skin her alive. Anything involving sneaking up on him just wasn't worth trying, no one ever had and she doubted she'd be the lucky one to do so.

As each idea in her head was shot down, her shoulders slumped farther into the couch and she took to tapping her fingers on her knee. Marikos resolve to make the younger boy punish dwindled lower and lower, was there really no weakness to the boy? If so, Mariko couldn't think of one, maybe if she employed the help of another Uchiha, but which one? Itachi never talked about anyone in his family, Itachi never talked about anyone. Mariko sighed. How could she possibly teach Itachi a lesson if she couldn't do it on her own, or have someone help her. Mariko nodded to herself, she would give the Bastard that, he had a way of making himself distant enough to be immune to everyday problems, like being taught a lesson.

* * *

The anger Mariko felt hadn't decreased by much when a fellow ANBU appeared telling her to be ready and meet in the Hokage's Office. She sighed, pulling on her mask and clasped her white robes around her neck. When she entered the room her eyes narrowed dangerously at the other figured clocked in white, ignoring the Hokage completely. It turned towards her and she hissed, seeing the Bastard Weasel mask. The increase in tension was one sided, Mariko felt all of her anger double at seeing the Bastard, she wanted to rip this boy limb from limb.

"Bunko-senpai."

"Uchiha-teme."

The Hokage sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose tightly, whatever was with these two he wanted to be set aside. He'd heard what the Uchiha had said, but Bunko was overreacting to it. When the Uchiha had said Bunko was almost as good as he but needed to work on a few things it hadn't been meant as an insult. He honestly felt that Bunko was the closest person to his level that he had ever met, the only thing keeping her from being just as good, was her care for others.

"Mariko. Please put whatever reservations you have about Itachi aside for now. You both have been called her to complete an A-rank mission. We will need your powers as a Kunoichi for this."

Mariko bowed her head, a blush of anger and embarrassment flushing her cheeks. She could feel the Bastards gaze on the back of her head and fought the urge to turn around and beat him to a pulp.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The old man gave her a knowing look, frowning slightly.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but if you are in need of a Kunoichi for this why am I here?"

The Hokage as well as Mariko turned their eyes to the Uchiha.

"Ah. Well this mission is in need of you as well Itachi-san. Mariko-san is being used so you can get closer to the actual target, then as a team you will take him down. The rest of your mission details are on this scroll. You have no need to grab any other items, you must leave as soon as possible. It should be a fairly quick mission."

Itachi reached for the scroll and scanned through it quickly, he fought the urge to look at Mariko as he handed her the scroll to read. He could feel her anger rise and from the corner of his eyes he watched her hand tighten around the scroll, head snapping back to the Hokage. The old man wore an expression that clearly told the girl sorry, Itachi wanted to tell her to suck it up but that, he was sure, would earn him a beating he well deserved.

* * *

**_"Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species."_**

* * *

The Uchiha forced a heavy sigh back into his throat as yet another tramp was paraded in front of him, face caked in red lips and rosy cheeks. His patience was beginning to wear thin with the old man. It had been some time since his mission had started and he was finally close enough to his goal. The idiot of an A-Class criminal was showing him the depths of his power and business to which Itachi had no real interest in. The criminal could see that he no longer held the young man's interest with the unoriginal women he tried to pawn off on him.

"Hotaka-san, I can see you have no desire to be with any of these women. Have they lost your interest so soon?" His voice was nasally, it irritated the Uchiha.

"I have no intentions with any of these women, Juro-san, I know you must have a better selection, or should I take my business elsewhere, to someone who will respect me."

The old man shook his head quickly; muttering about stuck up young men feeling entitled to things but left the room in a flash. The others sitting around watched the Uchiha with mild distaste, they were all powerful men, either politically or in shinobi standards. The Uchiha felt his Mangekyou Sharingan flare for a second, before he forced it back down. His fingers idly traced patterns on his leg to distract himself.

He hoped that this was finally it, after waiting so long his nerves were starting to wear thin. In an uncharacteristic way he was excited and anxious for the biggest part of the mission to start. Something odd had wound itself in his stomach; the tension had been building far to long for his taste. Not even the tramps he had been with could easy the bundle. The Uchiha had never been one to care about anyone, not even his own little brother, but the way he felt angered him. Something was not right with him and he'd be damned if he didn't figure out what had caused the emotions that coursed through him.

A young woman was thrown at the Uchiha's feet, her long orange hair pinned back with clips and pins, spilled over her shoulders. She made a soft 'oomph' when the man who had tossed her there sent a swift kick to her side, telling her to get up and kneel. She did as told quickly, bowing her head low in front of the Uchiha, her fingers dug into the material of her kimono that covered her knees. The man continued speaking to the Uchiha, raving to him that this was the best he could offer him, there was no woman better than her, he knew from experience.

The man grabbed the woman's hair, pulling her face up to look at Itachi, amber eyes stared into his; it had been almost four months since he had seen Mariko.

* * *

When their eyes met a dark blush raced across Mariko's face and neck dusting her features a rosy red. Mariko noticed the look on the younger shinobi's face; it looked hungry as his eyes roamed over her shamelessly. Suddenly she wished her kimono had more fabric to cover her, she wanted to drown in it. She looked up through her lashes, giving him a sly smile, Itachi looked away from her to the man.

"I assure you Hotaka-san, that she is worth your money." His voice grated on Mariko's nerves.

Itachi appraised Mariko again, she could feel herself being undressed by him, it was hard to believe this boy was only thirteen, he looked older. She sat back on her heels, brushing hair away from her face, smoothing her kimono, trying in vain to cover her curves better. The man behind he had begun talking again, explaining the rules of taking out such a valuable piece, even for the night. Those who wanted to test Eri-hime out had a hefty price to pay, not only with money but with privacy as well.

Itachi looked at the old man again, "Are you saying someone will be watching?"

"Hotaka-san, I know privacy is of utmost importance to you, but Eri-hime is my prize. I cannot allow anything to happen to her." He nervously plucked at a string on his clothes.

Itachi glanced back at Mariko, "Fine, I would like her for the night. If she's as good as you say we might be making a deal you cannot refuse."

The old man's eyes sparkled with untamed glee, Itachi and him exchanged the fees all the while Mariko's stomach tightened in nerves. When the transaction finished, the old man lead them to a seemingly private room, except for the man standing in one corner. He was stalk-still facing an open window, the moon hung heavy in the sky. The old man nodded towards the man telling Itachi he would not watch, but was there in case Eri-hime needed him. Itachi gave a tight nod, lips set in a firm grimace, the man left.

Mariko watched Itachi sit on the pillows, his own kimono loosely held together by his obi. She stood there for awhile watching him, he sat there watching her, both of them kept their gazes even. Itachi raised a hand towards her and Mariko figured it would be best to follow his lead; she knelled in front of him quickly. He dropped his hand, Mariko took this as she should start things and get them moving.

Delicate fingers grabbed her obi, pulling it from around her waist, the front of her kimono opened lazily teasing the Uchiha. With a shrug of her shoulders it slipped off spilling around her waist. Mariko suddenly felt very exposed; she brought her hands in front of her to keep hidden but dropped them to her lap. She couldn't back out of this just because she knew the Uchiha, nor because she had hated the Bastard. She had to do what was intended and expected of her in all situations; her emotions would not and could not play any rule over her.

"Help me." Hotaka-san said.

The words sounded odd coming from him, he couldn't think of a time when he had said them, Mariko seemed just as at odds with the whole thing. She reached her hands forward undoing his obi, with skilled fingers she threw back the folds of his kimono leaving him just as exposed as she was. He reached out a hand to her, pulling her over him, sitting her bare body in his lap. Mariko let out a small squeak at the suddenness.

The pad of his thumb brushed across her bottom lip, effectively parting them, her breath brushed across his hand. Grabbing her under her chin he leaned her forward, capturing her lips lightly. The coil in his stomach tightened again causing his self control to slip; he mashed their lips together harshly, teeth and tongue. Mariko replied quickly, fingers lacing into long ebony locks, her hips rocked carefully into his, causing him to bite her lip, drawing blood.

Her own tongue darted out, licking it up quickly, her eyes hazed over with lust, all awkward pretenses flew out the door. Her hips rolled again, this time forcing down causing him a breathy groan. His fingers left her shoulders flipping them over so he lay atop her, a splash of crimson had crept its way between her breasts up to her neck. Itachi made no time to help Mariko feel good about what was happening.

With his left hand he shoved her thighs farther apart, a small sound escaped the girls mouth. He positioned himself to enter her and with one quick movement he was in. The heat that consumed him drove his actions quicker and faster, she could feel her muscles forcing themselves to make room for his intrusion. Mariko herself felt a searing, burning pain that with every sharp thrust dulled down. What she felt was neither bad nor good and she decided to lift her hips to meet his in an attempt to cause a delicious friction.

Mariko's attempt proved fruitless, it was just the same dull throb, a jolt of electricity coming and going just as quick. Itachi made no sounds to indicate his pleasure, or lack thereof. His hips rocked upwards again, this time the coil in his stomach tightened too tight. He felt the snap before he realized what was happening, he made to pull out but she was closed around him tightly enough for the movement to cause a painful delight.

When he finished he leaned forward, pressing the side of his cheek to hers for a moment. The overwhelming power that surged through his body both fueled him and angered him. He let a worldly pleasure from someone not worthy of him, completely control his senses. As his breathing became more labored Mariko placed her hands on his shoulders in an attempt to push him up and get a better look at him.

What she saw frightened her, his eyes spun madly, the tomes forming a formidable triangle. Before she could call out for help she was plunged into a world of black and red, she sat curled upon the floor, glancing around in every which way; to her left stood Itachi, dressed in his ANBU mask and robes. She desperately wanted to stand and beat the Bastard in front of her, for locking her in such a place. The area surrounding them grew hazy, shifting into her home complex. Through the mask she could almost see his eyes, dangerously spinning, she could almost feel the stone cold gaze.

"Why did you bring me here?" Mariko demanded, standing to her full height.

Itachi choose to ignore her, pulling a few kunai from beneath his robes. Mariko froze, finally understanding his true intentions; she bit harshly on her lip hoping the pain would release the justu, no luck. She fought the urge to turn and run, knowing there was no escape, she was in living hell. He flung the small knifes her way, reaching their targets she gasped as pain exploded though her body. Blood oozed from the wounds, dripping and gathering onto the floor around her feet.

She glared up through her bangs, a sharp cough tasting of blood, "Why are you doing this?"

Itachi removed his mask, her idea of the spinning dangerous wheel brought to life, "I'm removing all obstacles, Bunko-senpai."

Mariko hung her head, knowing she could not stop what was coming next. She allowed her body to tense at the sound of multiple katana being unsheathed, her mind raced quickly, all possible scenarios flashed quickly but the only one to come was her death. Mariko accepted that. There was no other dignified way she could die. She looked up at the multiple Itachi's, a wicked sneer planted on blood stained lips.

"Rot in hell, Uchiha-teme."

* * *

The Hokage had personally taken Uchiha, Itachi's mission report, after all the mission had taken over four months to complete. He had questioned the young teen on Mariko's death; Itachi repeatedly told him that she had died in action. The target had been taken down, and all other people of interest killed as well. The Hokage couldn't deny being impressed, but something about the whole mission did not settle right in his stomach.

Mariko had been a more than capable ninja, Itachi's excuse of dying in action seemed flawed, but if he handed over Itachi to Ibiki, the whole Uchiha Clan would be furious. He weighed his options and figured he could secretively bring Ibiki in without any of the other Uchiha's finding out. He didn't know if the whole situation would be worth it, maybe Itachi had something to hide about her death or maybe she really had died by the other ninjas hands. The Hokage couldn't even ask anyone, Itachi had killed all of the other ninja.

The young teen continued to watch the old man, before finally being dismissed to his home. Itachi knew the report seemed odd, after all he did have to bring Bunko-senpai's body back as proof she had been killed. Instead of feeling nervous or angry or anything else, a dull hollow feeling surrounded his whole being. A spark of pride and power were the only things still running in his veins. Itachi left the Hokage Tower quickly, heading towards the Uchiha Compound to meet up with Madara so they could stay on schedule.

Today they finally planned on going through with the attack on the entire Uchiha People. Madara had been annoyed with the delay of Itachi's mission but it had been essential for Itachi. He now better understood his emotions, placing them in check, so as not to be fooled by them again. He had killed Bunko-senpai with the intent of understanding his human and male instincts; he realized there was no such thing as love for anyone, especially not foolish useless women.


	2. Tomorrow&Yesterday

Noriko, Yumiryo smiled widely at Deidara, her green eyes twinkling in the light. She reached a tanned hand towards his own pale one, clutching it tightly in hers. Deidara continued to frown at her as his eyebrows knit together, causing the bridge of his nose to crinkle in. She laughed lightly, poking his nose with the tip of her finger. Deidara attempted to pull his hand away from hers but she held tightly.

Yumiryo began to pull Deidara with her, refusing to loosen her grip on his hand; her dark brown hair swung around her waist as she walked. Deidara watched her back closely, a sick feeling growing in his stomach. When they finally stopped walking Yumiryo spun on her heel to look at Deidara. His blue eye narrowed dangerously at her and she finally released his hand from her own.

"What's wrong Deidara? Why do you look so mad at me? Did I do something to anger you? I didn't mean to if I did." Her light voice was like soft bells chiming.

"You didn't do anything, un."

Her smile returned stronger than before and looked him over, her smile dropped a bit at the sight of what he was wearing. Deidara dropped the glare but still tried to keep in mind what he had before. Yumiryo stepped closer to him removing his hat, brushing her fingers through his bangs gently, revealing his scope. Her smile dropped completely from her face as she took a small step back from him. Deidara fought his reflex that told him to grab her before she turned and left.

When she looked at him in the eye again her smile returned full force and she reached out for him again. He took a step closer as her fingers found their way to the buttons on his cloak. One by one she popped it open revealing his fishnet shirt, black pants and bags of clay on his hips. He stepped out of the cloak after she pushed it over his shoulders and it pooled around his feet.

Her warm fingers brushed his hair out of his face again and she unhooked the scope quickly. The tie in his hair was loosened so it rested at the base of his neck. Deidara let out a soft sigh as her fingers brushed against his sides, releasing the bags from their place. Another sigh left his lips as her fingers caressed his face, bringing it closer to hers. Her warm breath washed over his cheeks and Deidara hadn't realized he had closed his eyes.

"You look better this way Deidara." She whispered.

"You tell me this every night Yumiryo, un."

When he opened his eyes she leaned closer in, pressing soft pink lips to his. Her arms snaked themselves around his neck, pulling him closer. Deidara fought his arms to stay down at his sides, but just like every other night they slid themselves around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Their mouths moved in sync with each other's perfectly, they bodies fit the others mold. Eventually Yumiryo pulled back, allowing them both to breathe.

"Leave Akatsuki." She whispered against his ear.

* * *

__

_"I won't do it, yeah. You can't make me."_

_The Uchiha stared at the blonde man in front of him, his arms were crossed tightly over his chest and his chin stuck out angrily. _

_"You don't have a choice Deidara. You will complete the mission or I will."_

_The blonde's entire body tensed at the idea of the Uchiha completing his mission and his blood ran cold. He dropped his arms to his sides in a huff; fists so tight nails bit into skin, drawing blood. Itachi sighed slightly, hoping Deidara reconsidered, he did not feel like completing the mission and having to subdue the blonde as well. After what seemed like hours Deidara gave the Uchiha a tight nod, darting off base. _

_Itachi waited before following him. Leader wanted to make sure the mission was carried out, he wanted no more loose ends._

_

* * *

_

_Deidara grimaced as he approached a house on the outskirts of a small village. It was tiny, consisting of only one floor and was painted a dull grey with a dark brown roof. The inside of which he knew by heart. Around the backside a large window was left open, big enough for him to fit through with ease. Upon climbing through he entered a small bedroom, on one wall a shelf filled with scrolls lay piled up, against another was a medium sized bed, sheets and blanket a rumpled mess. _

_Deidara exited the room quickly into the tiny hallway. The walls of it were almost completely bare, save for one picture, which he walked past without as much as a glance. When he entered the living room a young woman looked up from cleaning her katana and smiled widely. She jumped from her spot, tan arms wrapping themselves tightly around the blonde's waist. He felt as if he had been punched in the stomach and jerked away from her quickly. _

_The girl gave him a hurt look, lips turned down in a confused frown. Her green eyes stared into his narrowed blue ones and his look quickly turned into a glare. She made to reach for him but he took another step back, causing her frown to grow even deeper. Absently she pulled her messy of brown hair over her should, running slender fingers through it, trying to think of something to say. The blonde sighed heavily. _

_"What's wrong Deidara? Why do you look so mad at me? Did I do something to anger you? I didn't mean to if I did." Her light voice was like soft bells chiming._

_"You didn't do anything, un."_

_Her smile returned stronger than before and looked him over, her smile dropped a bit at the sight of what he was wearing. Deidara dropped the glare but still tried to keep in mind what he had before. Yumiryo stepped closer to him removing his hat, brushing her fingers through his bangs gently, revealing his scope. Her smile dropped completely from her face as she took a small step back from him. Deidara fought his reflex that told him to grab her before she turned and left._

_When she looked at him in the eye again her smile returned full force and she reached out for him to come closer. He took a step closer and her fingers found their way to the buttons on his cloak. One by one she popped it open revealing his fishnet shirt, dark blue pants and bags of clay on his hips. He stepped out of the cloak as she pushed it over his shoulders and it pooled around his feet._

_Her warm fingers brushed his hair out of his face again and she unhooked the scope quickly. The tie in his hair was loosened so it rested at the base of his neck. Deidara let out a soft sigh as her fingers brushed against his sides, releasing the bags from their place. Another sigh left his lips as her fingers caressed his face, bringing it closer to hers. Her warm breath washed over his cheeks and Deidara hadn't realized he had closed his eyes._

_"You look better this way Deidara." She mumbled._

_When he opened his eyes she leaned closer in, pressing soft pink lips to his. Her arms snaked themselves around his neck, pulling him closer. Deidara fought his arms to stay down at his sides but they slid themselves around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Their mouths moved in sync with each other's perfectly, they bodies fit the others mold. Eventually Yumiryo pulled back, allowing them both to breathe._

_"I love you." Yumiryo smiled._

_Deidara leaned forward, capturing her lips in a soft kiss and this response was expected. In all the years she had know him he had never once used words to express what he felt but Yumiryo didn't care. They'd been together going on three years now and had been friends since before that. She had been with him when he had turned six years old and when they had both left Iwagakure together as missing-nin. _

_She pulled back again, grinning at him, "Deidara. I figured we'd celebrate since you can only visit me every few months. I bought a bottle of sake the other day."_

_Deidara gave her a questioning look, "How'd you manage that? You have to be twent-oh, un. I forgot your birthday, yeah."_

_"It's okay! I just turned twenty three days ago and besides the point, I'm sure you're really busy with your uh- stuff." _

_Yumiryo had realized long ago that mentioning the Akatsuki usually resulted in putting Deidara in a terrible mood so she tried to avoid it the best she could. He nodded to her and sat back against the couch as she left to grab cups and the bottle. When she returned she noticed that he had completely removed his hair tie, allowing long blonde locks to spill over his shoulders. She handed him a cup and filled it to the top along with hers. _

_She sat next to him while they drank, curled up against his side. The sake was taking its affect, leaving a pink blush across her cheeks; absently she noticed that he had only drunk two cups. When she decided that she was done she grabbed his cup and the remainder of the bottle, to take to the kitchen. Yumiryo cursed her feet that made each step she took feel heavy and sloppy. She returned to the living room moments later, swaying her hips and running tan fingers through long, brown locks. _

_Deidara watched her intently, blue eyes fixed on her form. When she reached the couch she sat over him, knees on either side of his hips, pressing down. She leaned her face towards his, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. She could feel his body react and his hands gripped her shoulders tightly, pulling her closer. Her fingers quickly found the hem of his shirt and yanked it upwards over his head. _

_At some point he lifted her up, legs wrapped around his waist and walked them to her bedroom. They fell onto her bed in a heap, quickly pulling off the remainder of both of their clothes. Yumiryo traced tanned fingers over pale shoulders, before they found their way to blonde hair, giving it a small tug. Deidara opened his mouth allowing her to roam her tongue over his, taking in his unique taste. _

_Deidara pulled himself up to get a better look at her entire body, she tried reaching a hand to bring him back down but he refused. His eyes roamed over her body that already glistened with sweat. Her chest heaved and he allowed a hand to caress her hip, slipping it to the small of her back. She gave a small squeak as the same hand roamed over her stomach and to her inner thigh. Her breathing caught as his hand slid closer to her core and a tongue slipped between the lips on his palm, tasting her. _

_"Deidara, stop messing around." She ground out._

_He grinned but complied, removing his hand and leaned down to capture her lips. While she was distracted he used his hand to push apart her legs, allowing him to settle between them. He followed her request for him to stop messing around and entered her in a swift motion. She bit back a cry into his should, teeth leaving marks on his skin. It wasn't long before the coil in Deidara snapped but he continued to ride it out. _

_Yumiryo's muscles tightened around him, causing the coil to draw tight again. Their groans intertwined creating a harmony of sounds. Deidara reached between them, his hand sliding towards her core. The tongue darted out, licking her as he continued his thrusting. Her breathing grew heavier and her body began to shake, her arms snaked around his neck bringing him down into a harsh kiss, bruising their lips. _

_She couldn't hold back any longer and her body arched upwards to meet his, a strangled moan leaving her lips. A spasm gripped her body and one ripped through him as well. His arms gave out and he laid atop her to catch his breath. She nuzzled her nose against his cheek, planting soft kisses all along his jaw line. He finally pulled himself off of her, lying by her side. She curled against him, placing her mouth by his ear._

_"Leave Akatsuki." She whispered._

_All the anger and guilt he had felt upon arrival returned, catching his breath. She stilled beside him, instantly regretting what she had said. Yumiryo feared that if she moved he would get up and storm off, leaving her to feel alone again but he didn't. After what seemed like hours Deidara took a deep breath and wrapped his arms tight around her. She gave a content sound, cuddling closer and decided she was better off not asking if his gesture meant he would or not. _

_When she finally fell asleep, Deidara removed himself from her and stumbled through the dark, grabbing up his pants and shoes. He made it to the living room with relative ease, pulling his pants up and slipping his shirt over his head. He sat heavily on the couch to pull on his shoes and when he finished slumped forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His hat, scope, cloak and clay lay a few feet away from him, in a pile on the floor. _

_The longer he sat there the longer he thought about leaving Akatsuki but he knew that idea was stupid. The Uchiha Bastard would just be ordered to bring him back and he still wasn't strong enough to beat him. He groaned loudly; bring up his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. So many thoughts plagued him, causing a sick feeling to grow in his stomach; the main thought being he still had to carry out his mission. _

_He shook his head quickly. He wasn't going to do it. He already told the Uchiha that and how was he supposed to carry it out anyway? He couldn't. There was no way. With that in mind Deidara quickly pulled his Akastuki attire back on, left the small house quickly and headed back to base. _

_

* * *

_

_"Deidara." The cool voice of the Uchiha rang out in the room._

_The blonde turned to him, glaring slightly, "Itachi, un."_

_"I'm just here to inform you that I carried out the mission as promised. Leader is disappointed you did not do as you were told." _

_The look of shock that covered the blonde's face, followed by the sick look and vomit did not surprise the Uchiha. He continued to watch him as he sank to his knees, gripping the sides of his head tightly. The image before him brought back his own memories and he fought the frown that tried to cross his face. When the blonde looked up at him he could see the trail of tears down his cheeks and his eye looked just as red as his own._

_

* * *

_

Deidara brought Yumiryo's lips to his, kissing her gently, "I love you, yeah. I'm sorry I never told you that."

She smiled up at him, tears in the corners of her big green eyes. His smile was sad as he brushed the only tear back with the pad of his thumb. She pulled him into another hug, resting her head against his chest. Her voice was muffled by the clothing of his shirt.

"You tell me that every night silly."

When they pulled apart, tears had begun to gather in his own eyes and spilled down his cheeks in twin trails. Yumiryo gave him a questioning look, one that Deidara couldn't answer. Slowly but surely she leaned forward and Deidara closed his eyes as soft lips kissed both cheeks. She pulled away but he kept his eyes closed tightly, keeping the feel of her lips against his cheeks. When he finally opened blue eyes he found nothing before him.

"No, un. I never did."

* * *

**"You can shed tears that she is gone,  
or you can smile because she has lived.  
You can close your eyes and pray she'll come back,  
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.  
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,  
or you can be full of the love you shared.  
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,  
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.  
You can remember her only that she is gone,  
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.  
You can cry and close your mind,  
be empty and turn your back.  
Or you can do what she'd want:  
smile, open your eyes, love and go on."**


	3. Eternal

**_"Children are so used to seeing puppets that when they see a real ventriloquist they don't understand it."_**

* * *

Sasori smiled at the tiny girl despite himself, her deep purple pigtails swayed across the tops of her shoulders as she shook her head no. Her head turned to his slowly, deep grey eyes locking onto his. She crossed her arms, continuing her glare and stuck her tongue out childishly. Sasori smiled again. The small snort that left her nose made him chuckle, she shook her head again causing bangs to cover her eyes. He reached a hand towards her, brushing the dark bangs away.

"You should be nicer to me, Sasori-chama." The tiny girl said.

"And why's that Kayo-chan?" He asked.

"Because, we will always be together. You can't get rid of me." She smiled up at him.

"I wouldn't get rid of you for the world Kayo-chan."

_

* * *

_

_"Sasori-chama! Sasori-chama!" The tiny girl called out._

_A redhead teen sighed at the sound of the girl's voice and put down the puppet he was working on. He held his breath, counting to ten and the girl didn't disappoint. The door to his room opened and she stepped in, purple pigtails swaying. She smiled widely at him, showing rows of white teeth. She closed the door behind her, walked over to his bed and plopped herself down. Sasori sighed, turning to face the beautiful girl._

_"Kayo-chan."_

_She grinned, "Hey Sasori-chama."_

_"What do you need?"_

_She pouted, crossing pale arms over her chest, "Can't a friend just stop by?"_

_"It's never that simple with you." _

_She rolled her eyes, "I just wanted to see what you were doing Sasori-chama."_

_The redhead decided he wasn't going to get back to work anytime soon, at least not in peace. He turned back to his puppet and began fixing one of the many blades. After a few minutes he felt Kayo's presence over his left shoulder. He ignored it for some time but he could feel she was itching to ask him questions about it. The tiny girl seemed increasingly interested in his work over the last few weeks. _

_"Yes, Kayo-chan?"_

_"Well Sasori-chama, I just wanted to know what you were working on." She puffed her cheeks out._

_He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, "When are you going to stop using 'chama'?"_

_The girl rolled her eyes and plopped herself back on his bed, obvious to him avoiding the question entirely. Sasori turned his whole body towards her this time. His eyes appraised her tiny frame, there was no denying that this girl was beautiful. Her deep grey eyes were always shining; her purple hair always thick and full, lips always a tender pink. He chuckled when she stuck her tongue out at him for staring, like she always did. She knew what he was thinking; Sasori had told her on many occasions._

_"And when will you stop using 'chan'? I'm just as old as you are and 'chan' makes me feel younger. I blame you." Her tongue slipped between pink lips again. _

_"The day you hit your growth spurt, I promise I won't use 'chan' anymore." _

_"So neither of us should hold our breath then."_

_Sasori chuckled again, getting up from his table and sat beside Kayo. The bed which barely recognized her weight, sagged under his quickly causing her to squeak and smash against his side. She grumbled into his arm and pushed herself away from him. When she finally sat up again she gave him a small glare. Sasori ignored it, instead leaning over, capturing her lips against his. She smiled against his lips and pulled back._

_"So, Sasori-chama, want to go spar? All the others are saying you're getting rusty ever since you started 'playing with dolls.'" _

_"Is that so?"_

_

* * *

_

_"CHA! THAT'S RIGHT SASORI-CHAMA! YOU SHOW THEM WHAT YOUR DOL-PUPPETS ARE MADE OF!" Kayo cheered, throwing a fist into the air._

_Nao smacked her across the back of the head, "Shut up Kayo! No cheering!"_

_She glared at him angrily, rubbing the back of her head. Sasori glanced over, before turning back to his third sparring partner of the day. Sho wasn't fairing any better than the first two, sweat poured from his brow and he struggled to keep up with the puppets movements. He charged the redhead for what seemed like the twentieth time, only to be thrown back again. Sasori moved his fingers quickly and three kunai went flying, landing at Sho's feet, forcing him back._

_"You're just jealous your brother is losing." Kayo grumbled, sticking her tongue out._

_"Always with that damn tongue!" Nao shouted, "I'm going to cut it out of your mouth!"_

_Nao pulled a kunai out of his pouch and launched himself at the tiny girl. She squeaked and closed her eyes, waiting for some sort of pain but there was none. She peaked an eye open to see Sasori's puppet in front of her. He had Nao by the neck and multiple blades popped out of his free arm with a 'swink' sound. Kayo froze at the sight, as did everyone else watching the scene unfold. Sho stood up straight quickly, giving Sasori a pleading look._

_"Hey! Calm down! I'm sure Nao didn't mean it. He's just hot-headed, completely opposite of his name! Ahaha. Come on Sasori. I'm sure he wasn't going to hurt Kayo." _

_The puppets blades pressed right against Nao's neck, a small trickle of blood running down. Kayo stayed quiet. She wasn't even going to try and calm Sasori, when he was upset there was no point, his anger would just turn to her instead. Sho took a step towards Sasori, hoping he could calm him. Other shinobi stood back, watching the whole thing unfold, one darted away to get help. After what felt like eons, Chiyo-ue arrived with a deep frown on her face._

_"Sasori. Come now, there is no need for this. Your puppets aren't meant to be used for this."_

_"He was going to harm Kayo." _

_"I wasn't!" Nao piped up, "It was a joke! I was just frustrated with the sparring match!" _

_The blades bit into his skin farther earning a squeak from the teen. Sasori glared openly at him, lips curled back in a dangerous sneer. Chiyo sighed, lifting a hand up. Kayo could see the chakra strings snake their way to Nao. With a few quick movements he was away from the puppets and its blades. Sasori frowned again, his fingers danced in the air and the puppet was back at his side. Chiyo released her hold and turned around to leave._

_"You think you're so great! I'll be better than you Chiyo and people who deserve punishment will get it." _

_The Elder stopped walking but kept her back to the younger puppet master. Kayo stared at the both of them; Chiyo finally sighed and continued on her way. The tiny girl turned her head towards Sasori quickly to see his puppet vanish in a puff of smoke. _

_

* * *

_

_"Sasori-chama?"_

_There was no answer but Kayo knew he had to be in his room. He never went anywhere else unless she asked him to go with her. She grasped the handle, pushed the door open and gasped at what she saw. Sasori stood in the middle of the room, as did a second Sasori, a puppet Sasori. Kayo stood stalk still, staring at how alive the puppet seemed. The body looked like a puppets but the face was identical to the original._

_"Close the door, Kayo-chan."_

_The girl did as she was told, closing it with a quick snap. When she turned back around the puppet lay across Sasori's work bench, lifeless. She walked closer to it, running her finger tips across its smooth face. When Kayo looked back at Sasori he could read the confusion in her eyes. Her fingers stayed against the puppets cheek. _

_"So... this is what you've been working on."_

_"Yes."_

_"And... what exactly are you planning Sasori-chama?"_

_"It's going to be my new body."_

_Instead of more questions, Kayo looked back down at the puppet; her fingers ran over the wooden face again. For a long while that's all the small girl did, Sasori grew worried that maybe he shouldn't have said anything about that. When she turned back to him he noticed tears had gathered in the corners of her grey eyes. It was his turn to look confused now as a few of them spilled over. _

_"What's wrong Kayo-chan?"_

_"You're going to leave me..." _

_

* * *

_

Sasori let Kayo run delicate fingers through his hair, the paleness contrasting with his red locks. She continued to smile at him, white teeth shining. Her fingers soon dropped to his cheek and traced a path to pale lips, parting them slightly. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his in a gently kiss. He returned it eagerly, his own fingers pulling out the pigtails and gripping her locks at the base of her neck.

A sudden sharp knock on the door caught Sasori off guard; his movements as well as Kayo's stopped. The knock came again, this time louder. Sasori growled slightly, moving Kayo so she could sit on the bed. She stared at him with a blank expression. Sasori turned away from her and stalked towards the door, he wrenched it open quickly to reveal a blonde man, fist raised to knock again.

"Sasori-no-danna! What were you doing, un?" The blonde tried to peek over his shoulder but the redhead blocked his path.

"That's none of your business Deidara. What are you doing here?" The blonde puffed out his cheeks.

"We have a mission from Leader, yeah."

The redhead nodded his head and began shutting the door.

"Hey! Wait! What're you doing danna, un!"

"I said it's none of your business Deidara. Now go and wait. I'll be there in a minute."

The door slammed before the blonde could press the matter any farther. Sasori looked back at Kayo and allowed his fingers to dance in the air. The girl stood back up from the bed and smiled at him. They stood like that for a moment, puppet staring at puppet master. Finally Sasori released the puppet girl and she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The redhead stared at the spot a moment longer before turning back to the door for his mission.

* * *

**_"Beauty is a form of genius - is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts in the world like sunlight, or springtime, or the reflection in dark water of that silver shell we call the moon."_**


	4. Sharing It

**"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before."**

* * *

"We're going to feel the pain of your death together! Ahahaha!" The man with silver hair laughed insanely.

* * *

_"What the fuck Yasu! You bitch! Get your ass back here now!" _

_"Catch me if you can Hidan! Your slow ass probably can't!" _

_The girl laughed loudly as she continued to run from the boy, long legs keeping her a good distance ahead. Hidan growled out another curse at the girl, attempting to force his legs to carry him faster. It wasn't long before he could feel his body refusing to go on any longer and he tumbled into a pile on the ground. His chest heaved up and down rapidly as he greedily sucked air into his lungs. He flipped himself over so he could lie on his back and stared up at the blue sky. The girls face appeared above him, identical silver hair and pink eyes mirroring his._

_"Tired already Hidan-chan? Yeesh, your ass is more out of shape then I thought." _

_"Shut the fuck up Yasu. You're such a pain in the ass." _

_The girl grinned sarcastically, "Is that any way to speak to your older sister? Where did you learn your manners?"_

_"From you smartass." The boy huffed. _

_"Right!" _

_The boy's sister lay opposite of her brother but their heads were close together. Hidan continued to pant lightly, closing his eyes and soaking up the warm rays. He reached his hand out towards his sisters after a while and found it already waiting for his. They laced fingers tightly and Hidan opened his eyes to stare at his sister. She leaned forward, pressing her lips against his forehead causing Hidan to crinkle his nose at her. She pulled away, smiling sweetly at him. _

_"I love you Hidan-chan."_

_"Don't fucking call me that!"_

_

* * *

_

_Hidan grinned widely as he tucked the stolen candies into his pants pocket. The old man had chased him for a good six minutes before tiring out and settled for cussing instead. The boy couldn't deny there was something special about cussing; even in your worst moods it could make you feel better. Plus he had learned early on from his sister that the more often you cussed the less it seemed wrong, his sister had yet to pass up an opportunity for a good curse filled rant._

_After another few minutes Hidan slowed from his run to a walk, which held a certain skip in it after stealing some goods. The sun was still pretty high in the sky so he figured he had time to stop at a playground and taunt the other kids his age. He turned left down a familiar alley and smashed head long into a cart. The woman beside it gasped as Hidan fell on his ass, rubbing his head. She rushed over to help the boy up but received a glare for her troubles._

_"What the fuck is this shit here for!" He ground out._

_The woman gasped, "Well I never! How older are you? You have no right to talk that way. What would your parents say?"_

_"My parents are dead you bitch."_

_The woman looked positively horrified and a hand came up to cover her mouth. Hidan sent her a glare and stood himself up, brushing off imaginary dust. When he deemed his pants clean he looked at the cart, glare growing angrier. The words 'Welcome to Yugakure!' and 'Souvenirs Here!' were printed all across it. The woman had finally recovered herself and set to shooing the boy away. He side stepped a shoving hand and spat at the woman's feet, darting around the cart into the alley._

_When he finally reached the park her noticed a group of kids playing 'ninja'. He chuckled to himself, pulling out a piece of candy and plopped himself in a tree. For the next hour or so he called out curses and people positions, frustrating all of the kids. When the children finally told their parents he cursed at them too, adding the finger for extra defiance. One of the fathers attempted to pull him out of the tree but he was quicker. _

_He spat in the man's general direction, hopped out of the tree and darted towards his home, all the while laughing loudly. This time he didn't stop running because the man hadn't either. His legs began to tire and it became harder to breath but he continued to push himself, the smile on his face completely disappearing. He turned around another corner, glancing over his shoulder and cursed that the man was so close behind him._

_He urged his feet to carry him faster the last couple of feet to his home and he slammed into the door. At the same time he reached for the handle, the man reached for him grabbing his shoulder turning him around roughly. The man was obviously not pleased and Hidan could see he was a ninja from his forehead protector. The door to his house creaked open and both of them turned to see his sister rubbing both eyes to get rid of sleep._

_"What the fu-" She opened her eyes, "Oh. What the fuck did he do?"_

_The man holding him straightened his stance quickly, "Oh! Yasu-senpai! I-well, he, and-"_

_Yasu interrupted him turning to Hidan, "What the fuck did you do?"_

_"Me? I didn't do anything...well not much anyway! All the kids at the park got mad at me and made up this story to get me in trouble, so I got mad back and this asshole here," Hidan jerked his thumb at the man, "pissed me off even more, so I cussed at him and he came at me so I spat 'near' him and he ran after me all the way here!"_

_Yasu groaned, pale fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. She looked up at the man, who was clearly shocked, and forced a grimace._

_"Sorry. He has terrible manners, no idea where he gets them."_

_The man gave her a look like he wanted to say, 'from you' but decided against it, "It's okay Yasu-senpai. I trust you'll take care of it from here?"_

_She nodded and placed a hand on his other shoulder. Hidan frowned angrily as he felt like he was being passed off from person to person. When the man left Yasu pulled Hidan inside and turned him to face her. Tired, pink eyes bore into his own and he knew that just maybe he had gone too far this time. For a long moment brother and sister stared at each other before she sighed and turned away from him, heading into the living room._

_Another few minutes later and Hidan heard the sound of his sister's soft sobs echoing in the hall. He gulped, running his fingers through his hair and headed into the living room. He saw his sister sitting on the couch, her head in her hands, chest heaving slightly. Hidan watched her; a hand gripped his heart and squeezed it tightly. He took a few more steps into the room, opening and closing his mouth but he couldn't find the right words._

_"Don't bother Hidan. I don't want to hear your lame ass excuses tonight," Yasu managed, "Just go to your room for the rest of the night. Takeshi is coming over tonight-"_

_"Yasu! He's a fucking bastard!" Hidan cut in, "And he beats yo-"_

_"Shut the fuck up brat!" Yasu sighed in frustration, "Just go to your room. Please Hidan."_

_Hidan did as he was told, stomping angrily the entire way. When he reached his room he slammed his door closed as loud as he could and dropped to his bed in a huff. He hugged his pillow tightly under his head and began to wait. While he waited, Hidan made a list of reasons why he hated his sister and with each new reason the hand holding his heart clenched tighter, making it even harder to breath._

_After about an hour, Hidan heard knocking on the front door. He gripped his pillow tighter to his chest, clenching his eyes shut and held his breathe. He heard Takeshi's voice echo his hello and his sister reply letting him in. The breath Hidan held was exhaled, each time Takeshi came over he hoped and prayed his sister wouldn't let him in, each time his prayers went unanswered. Hidan cursed the gods and promised to himself that he would find one that answered his prayers._

_It wasn't long after Takeshi had been let in that the abuse started. He listened to the sound of his sister's body slam into a wall, her sharp cry ringing in his ears. The sounds only grew louder as the night went on but Hidan forced himself to listen to it, making sure he could still hear his sister's cries of pain, a security that she was still alive. A tear spilled from the corner of a clenched eye as a particularly painful yelp came from his sister's lips._

_Hidan couldn't understand why his sister allowed Takeshi to beat her whenever they were together. He had asked her once and she told him that she loved Takeshi and if her pain made his pain less, then it was worth it. She said that people sometimes needed to share their pain with another and that it was for the greater good. That God had created pain to be shared among his people to remind them they could all feel it. _

_The sounds soon became background noise and Hidan fell asleep._

_

* * *

_

_"Wake up you little bastard!" _

_Hidan felt a sharp tug on his scalp and yelped, reaching up to claw at the offending hand. Through tear strained eyes Hidan made out the profile of Takeshi. Hidans heart dropped to his feet and he began kicking and screaming to be released. Fear built in his stomach causing the taste of bile to rise in his throat. Never once had Takeshi attacked him and Hidan feared his sister had been killed. He cursed himself for falling asleep._

_"Let go of me you fucker! I'll kick your ass! Just let go of me and you'll see!" _

_Takeshi laughed, dragging the boy from his room and down the hall. They entered his sister's room and he fought his stomach not to get sick. Yasu lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, the smell of blood was just as overwhelming as the sight of it. Takeshi threw Hidan next to his sister and the boy scrambled to move away from her body. He sat against the wall, knees brought up to his chest and tears flowed freely from his eyes._

_He watched her long and hard, hoping she would get up and tell Takeshi to leave. Then it would just be Hidan and Yasu and he wouldn't let anything get in between them again. Hidan swore that if his sister would just move, he would let her share all her pain with him and he wouldn't complain. That he would allow everyone in the world to share their pain with him, no matter what. If only she would move._

_"Don't count on it brat," Takeshi spat suddenly, "I just brought you down here so you could share the same fate as her."_

_Takeshi twirled a bloody kunai in his hand and Hidan wondered how he hadn't noticed it before. The man lunged at the boy quickly, Hidan closed his eyes waiting for his sure death. He welcomed it. Hidan felt a splash of warm liquid across his face and warm arms wrap around him but no pain. He opened his eyes to see Yasu, her face inches from his, blood staining her lips. She took a struggled breath and Hidan noticed Takeshi slumped against Yasu's back. _

_The blade of his sister's katana protruded through the man's back and seconds later he slid off Yasu onto his side. Hidan's eyes widened as the arms that held him tight loosened as his sister fell to her side as well. She coughed blood and with a sick feeling, the boy realized the warm liquid on his face was hers. His fingers reached up, smudging some of it and when he pulled his hand away, fingertips were stained red. _

_He eyes went back to his sister; he noticed the kunai meant for him lodged between her shoulder blades. Her chest barely moved as he inched his way closer to her. When he finally reached her he lay down next to her, face to face. Her eyes opened slightly and Hidan reached his hand to hers, lacing their fingers together. She slowly leaned herself forward, pressing bloody lips to his forehead, Hidan's nose crinkled as tears gathered in his eyes again. She pulled away giving him a soft smile and a squeeze of the hand._

_"I love you Hidan-chan."_

_Hidan attempted a laugh through his tears as her hand slackened in his grip, "Don't call me that."_

_

* * *

_

The man ceased his laughter and spun the sharp pole in his had expertly. His grin remained as he rammed it right through his ribs and into his heart. The pain that exploded in his chest filled him and his maniacal laughter filled that area around him. His opponent dropped to their hands and knees, blood flowing from their lips and seconds later they fell to their side, dead. Hidan grinned at Kakuzu and the man gave him a blank stare in return. He released his jutsu and stepped out of his Jashin circle.

"Oh come on you fucker! You know that how I kill a person is fucking amazing!"

Kakuzu shook his head, "How the hell did you ever get into this religion anyway? Why'd you pick it? You never have told me."

A wicked sneer crossed Hidan's lips as him and Kakuzu continued on their way as if nothing had happened.

"Are you getting sentimental on me asshole? Want to swap life stories now, huh?"

Kakuzu sighed in annoyance, "Forget I asked."


	5. Third Path

**_"Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death."_**

_Nagato sighed as he watched Yahiko and Konan run around in the open field, playing ninja. It was times like these were he wished he still had Chibi to keep him company. Nagato's fingers brushed over the green grass and he imagined the strands' tickling his hand was Chibi's fur. A particularly loud squeal made him look up from his lap, his hand slipping into the kunai pouch on his hip. Konan was pinned to the ground by Yahiko, who was grinned from ear to ear. _

_Nagato sighed again, removing his hand from his pouch and continued to fiddle with the grass. Yes, these were definitely the times were he wished he had someone with him. At the sound of another giggle Nagato looked through red bangs, his stomach tightened painfully. Yahiko pulled away from Konan but Nagato could tell by the blush and how her hand held her right cheek, he had kissed her. How Nagato wished he could have someone to share everything with._

* * *

_"Heyyy, Nagato! What's wrong?" Yahiko yelled, running to catch up to the other boy, Konan not far behind._

_"Nothing's wrong Yahiko." He mumbled, but flinched when Yahiko threw an arm over his shoulders._

_"But you just got up and walked away. You should have played with Konan and I!" _

_Nagato turned his head slightly so he could better see his friend, Konan was now on his other side. He sighed heavily, shrugging off his friends arm and continued walking. He couldn't understand why Yahiko was hell bent on acting like a child at times. Hadn't he taken Jiraiya-sama's teachings to heart? Nagato had. He was going to live by them; he was going to do everything in his power to protect his friends so he never had to experience the pain of losing anyone again._

_"You just make me angry sometimes Yahiko."_

_"Huh? What the hell did I do!" The ginger growled angrily._

_"It's...I don't really know how to explain it Yahiko. I just-It's the fact that you act so immature at times." Nagato hung his head lower._

_Yahiko gave him a skeptical look._

_"Just-Never mind Yahiko. I'm sorry. Let's get going. I'm sure you both are hungry."_

* * *

_"Woah! Nagato, stop!" Yahiko yelled loudly._

_He stopped the sweeping motion of his arm, the kunai in his hand left a small gash against the enemy's skin. He took a deep breath and the person in front of him stumbled back, clutching their arm. A small trickle of blood passed pale fingers and Nagato looked up into completely red eyes, no other color visible. Without realizing his grip on his weapon slackened in shock. Yahiko ran past him, shoving him to the side to reach the thin girl._

_"Hey. You okay?" He asked softly._

_The girl jerked her head up in the direction of Yahiko._

_"Here," Yahiko reached forward, "Let me take a look at that."_

_The girl took a step back, tripping over her own feet; she landed ungracefully on the ground. Konan was at her side in a minute, reaching out to the girl as well. The girl let out a shocked gasp and slapped at Konan's hands when they touched her shoulder. Both Yahiko and Konan shared a look and took a step back. Nagato continued to watch the scene in front of him, the girl scrambled to her feet quickly. _

_"Ju-just leave me alone!" She shouted._

_"We're just trying to help you." Yahiko said carefully._

_"Just leave me alone!" She shouted again._

_Nagato watched, noticing the girl wasn't actually looking at any of them, just in their general direction. Konan must have noticed as well as she sent Yahiko a look telling him to stop._

_"We just want to help you honest. Can you tell us your name? Mine in Konan, the other two are Yahiko and Nagato." _

_The girl bit her lip, "It-It's Sousou."_

_Konan nodded and Nagato took a few steps forward so that he was with his friends. He gave Konan a sideways glance before he choose to speak. The girl tensed at the sound of his voice._

_"Sousou. I'm Nagato and I want to ask you something okay? Don't get upset." _

_The thin girl nodded, black hair hung around her frail face._

_"Are you blind, Sousou?"_

_The girls head shot up and Nagato's breath caught in his throat as her eyes seemed to stare straight at him. Yahiko looked back and forth between both Nagato and Sousou, his eyebrows knit tightly together. The girls thin frame shook slightly, her fingers curling into fists at her side. Even if she didn't answer him her body language did. Obviously it was a touchy subject and he half regretted bringing it up._

_"Yes." She hissed angrily._

* * *

_"Ohhh please Konan! Please, please, please, please!" Yahiko begged._

_"Yahiko. No."_

_"But why!"_

_"Because."_

_"Well that's not a good answer!"_

_Nagato grimaced at Yahiko as he got on his knees, gripping Konan's hand between both of his. The girl seemed to grow more and more agitated with each sentence the ginger spoke. An evident tick was growing larger on her forehead by the second. At the sound of a light giggle Nagato looked down. A thin face with oddly red eyes was looking up at him, a small across pale lips, rested on his lap._

_"They're arguing about where to go for my birthday again aren't they?"_

_"Yeah."_

_Sousou's smile grew, "I really appreciate Yahiko wanting to take me to a carnival of some sort but that'll only make me sad."_

_Nagato sighed, fingers coming up to stroke black locks as Sousou continued speaking._

_"Because I won't be able to see it and I'd feel terrible that Yahiko spent money and I can't enjoy it to the fullest. I think Konan realizes it."_

_"Yahiko is stupid sometimes, I don't think he always remembers that you can't see."_

_Sousou shifted herself into a sitting position, placing her face in front of Nagato's. Her eyes moved slightly, sightlessly over his face. Pale hands slowly made their way up his arms, over his chest and to his face. Delicate and thin fingers drifted over his cheeks lightly. Nagato watched as red disappeared behind pale lids and Sousou's face inched itself slowly towards his. Warm lips pressed against his cheek and he turned his head so he could capture them with his own._

_When they pulled away both allowed their eyes to flutter open, a pink cloud mirrored on both their cheeks. Sousou ran her fingertips across his face again tracing all of its details. Her fingers stopped their journey on the tip on his nose. A smile came to her lips and Nagato smiled back._

_"I think you forget that I can see some things, Nagato. Just, not in the way the rest of the world see's. But that's what makes me different, special. I can see what no one else can."_

* * *

_"Hey... Sousou-chan? Are you okay?" Yahiko asked gently. _

_"Hmm? Yeah. I'm fine Yahiko-kun. Just a bit of a coug-." She was cut off again as more harsh sounds escaped her lips. _

_When Sousou pulled her hand away, red stood out against pale skin. Yahiko grimaced deeply as he grabbed her hand, she tried pulling it out of his grasp but it was futile. _

_"How long has this been going on?" Yahiko asked firmly._

_"Fo-for a while. I-," Sousou paused, taking a deep breath, "I went to the doctors a week ago. I told Konan it was just a cold, but-but I got the results back. I have Pulmonary Edema. My heart is failing and I don't have much time left. I didn't want any of you to worry." _

_Yahiko felt his heart burst in his chest, tears spilled over his lashes and he pulled Sousou in a tight hug. He continued sobbing, stroking her hair and Sousou willed herself not to cry as well as she wrapped her arms around him. Yahiko's sobs wracked through his body, which caused her to shake as well. A few minutes later a cough was heard from next to them, Yahiko pulled away quickly, wiping away tears._

_"Yahiko? Sousou?" Konan asked carefully._

_"Hey, Konan." Yahiko croaked out. _

_"Uhh. What's wrong you two? Did something happen? Sousou?" She asked._

_"N-no! Everything's fine! I was-just thinking of Jiraiya-"_

_"Yes. Something is wrong." Sousou said, cutting Yahiko off._

_Nagato stared at her with piercing steal eyes, her head hung low and black hair covered her face from view. All was silent, Yahiko itching at how uncomfortable it was. The girl reached a hand out and the red head took it as his sign to go to her. He pulled her off the ground and into a hug, Yahiko stood next to Konan, clutching her hand for dear life. Nagato heard the frail girl take a deep breath leading to a coughing fit. When she finally finished she looked up at him with blood stained lips._

_"I'm dying."_

* * *

_The first few days after Sousou's announcement went like a blur for Nagato and if it hadn't been for the constant reminder that Sousou really was sick, he would have dismissed the whole thing as a dream. Her coughing fits became more frequent and she was having a hard time breathing, the sound of liquid in her lungs was evident. But even with all of the painful symptoms she smiled a bloody smile and laughed a breath laugh. All in attempts to make the others feel normal._

_Yahiko was the first to change how he treated her; to him it was as if she was one of Konan's origami flowers. He rarely touched her, but was at her beck and call, not that she exploited the fact. Konan was next. Soon she too treated the girl like she was ready to break, mothering over her when Sousou was too weak to stop her. Nagato was the only one who refused to treat her different. Treating her different would mean he had accepted that she was dying and that was something he just couldn't do._

_Yahiko and Konan sat in a tree a few feet from where he and Sousou were. They heads were bent together and they were talking, most likely about Sousou's condition. It seemed her already thin body was thinner, paler. Nagato looked back down at her face that rested against his lap. Her dry lips were parted and her chest rattled with each breath, he could smell the coppery scent of blood and it made him sick._

_He reached his own pale fingers out, allowing them to stroke black hair gently. Sousou opened her eyes, the red that once looked vibrant and beautiful now only served to remind him that she was dying. She smiled up at him and reached a hand out; he took hers in his, placing it against his cheek. Her fingertips were cold as they trailed over his face, leaving icy trails in their wake. Her hand retreated quickly as she covered her mouth to keep from coughing on him. When she moved her hand back more blood than usual stained it and her face was scrunched up in pain._

_"Are you alright, Sousou?" Nagato asked gently._

_"Aha, yeah. I'm fine. I'm, uh, sorry about this, Nagato. I wish I could do something about thi-"_

_Nagato leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss, he pulled back after what seemed like hours. _

_"Sousou it's not your fault. Please, do not say you're sorry." _

_"I love you Nagato. I wanted to tell you that, so I can't regret anything." She mumbled, cuddling closer into him. _

_"I love you too."_

_A while passed by before Yahiko and Konan came back over. They took the time to watch Sousou sleep against Nagato. The image almost brought more tears to Yahiko's eyes and he realized he had never cried so much since his parents had passed away._

_"Hey. Nagato, we're going to set up camp. Do you want me to watch Sousou while you fix your tent? Or do you want me to do it? Because I will." Yahiko said._

_"If you wouldn't mind Yahiko." _

_"No it's fine."_

_Nagato looked down at the sleeping girl and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Her nose was scrunched up in slight pain. The other two quickly put everything together and Konan ushered Nagato into one of the tents with Sousou. He laid the girl on her side before lying next to her. She stayed asleep and soon Nagato followed her into it, allowing her to curl against him. As he drifted to sleep he could feel her cold body sucking away the warmth of his._

* * *

_"She's dead..."_

_"N-no! Sh-she can't be! She was alive when I fell asleep!"_

_"I'm sorry, she's dead Nagato."_

_"But-!"_

_"Konan. You better double check! She-she..."_

_"I did. She's dead Yahiko, Nagato! I'm s-."_

_With that said, all three Ame Orphans broke down into tears. For Nagato this was his third path of pain._


End file.
